1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to portable work surfaces and more particularly relates to portable workstations that are lightweight and compact.
2. Description of the Related Art
Preparing food in a primitive environment can be a challenge for those people who normally prepare food in an organized kitchen. In an undeveloped area such as a campsite or lakeside, the user generally lacks a sturdy structure to organize kitchen items and to provide a sufficient working surface for preparing food and eating. Without a proper work surface, food can easily become soiled or contaminated and kitchen items can easily become excessively disorganized and unmanageable. In addition, packing utensils and cookware can also become a challenge, as many boxes or containers are typically required to pack a sufficient amount of cookware, cooking supplies, seasonings, pans, etc. Furthermore, the user may fail to pack all of the necessary provisions because of the difficult task of disemboweling a kitchen and then remembering what is needed and what has already been packed.
To facilitate the packing process, as well as to provide a temporary preparation area, several versions of a “camp kitchen” have been introduced into the market. The camp kitchens known in the art typically include a folding storage cabinet and commodities typically found in a kitchen environment, such as tables, drawers, stoves, storage compartments, sinks and the like. These camp kitchen, however, are generally heavy, bulky, and difficult to transport because they are often made of wood, steel, or other heavy materials to provide economy for this type of construction and to hold drawers, organizers, and the contents while traveling.
A common style of camp kitchen is a box style, which requires multiple rigid surfaces (top, bottom, sides) to maintain the container shape. The rigid surfaces of the container can only function in a limited way to provide work surfaces and other peripheral devices, such as tables, shelves, windscreens, etc. For example, the front of the box may function as a table, but since the rigid surface must hold the box together in a storage position, the rigid surface cannot fold or collapse for greater portability or to decrease the overall bulk. Thus, the size of the table is generally limited to the size of the box, which typically signifies providing a larger, bulkier box for sufficient work space. In a further example, the top or sides of the box may function as a windscreen; however, the rigid surfaces generally do not provide the lightest, most economical or most portable method of creating a windscreen.
Furthermore, items stored in a box style camp kitchen are typically difficult to access during transportation. Usually, the user must open the entire box to access the drawers and/or contents inside the box. In addition, the camp kitchens are often transported in a different orientation than the selected set up orientation, which may hinder user access during transport.
Typically, the camp kitchens require an additional stand that must be transported along with the camp kitchen in order to maintain the kitchen table(s) and/or surfaces at a useful working height. Because the camp kitchens must be stabilized from front to back, as well as side to side, the camp kitchens and the stands are inherently large and bulky, even though the stands may fold, scissor, etc. Bulky stands and bulky camp kitchens are usually difficult to transport and typically still provide limited work space.
From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for an apparatus that provides an ample working surface and is compact, lightweight and easily transportable. Beneficially, such an apparatus, system, and method would further enable the user to pack and organize items in an accessible storage compartment. The apparatus would further provide the working surface at an appropriate height for the user without requiring an additional stand. Similarly, such an apparatus would provide lateral stability on uneven surfaces.